Vehicle shield device and methods for manufacturing and shipping a vehicle shield device

ABSTRACT

A vehicle shield device is provided according to the invention. The vehicle shield device includes a hood protector region and hood attachment region. The hood protector region is constructed for extending across at least a portion of a vehicle hood for protecting the vehicle hood. The hood protector region includes at least one flexible region for allowing folding of the hood protector region. The hood attachment region is constructed for attaching the hood protector region to a vehicle hood. The hood attachment region includes a first hood attachment flange attached to at least a portion of the hood protector region and constructed for attaching to a left side of a vehicle hood, and a second hood attachment flange attached to at least a portion of the hood protector region and constructed for attachment to a right side of a vehicle hood. The hood protector region and the hood attachment region can be provided from a molded and continuous plastic sheet. Methods for manufacturing and shipping a vehicle shield device are provided.

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional applicationSerial No. 60/224,569 that was filed on Aug. 10, 2000. The entiredisclosure of U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/224,569 isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a vehicle shield for mounting to thehood of a vehicle, and to methods for manufacturing and shipping avehicle shield for mounting to the hood of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Numerous vehicle shield devices have been placed on the fronts ofvehicles in an attempt to protect the fronts of the vehicles fromcontact with road debris and to deflect airflow away from thewindshields. These devices are often referred to as bug shields orairflow deflectors. Airflow deflectors are described by U.S. Pat. No.5,755,483 to Lund assigned to Lund Industries, Incorporated, theassignee of the above-identified patent application. Additional UnitedStates patents disclosing airflow deflectors include U.S. Pat. No.3,815,700 to Mittendorf; U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,517 to Thornburgh; U.S.Pat. No. 4,153,129 to Redmond; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,099 to Lowery etal.

[0004] Vehicle shield devices are generally long enough to span thewidth of a vehicle hood. Wrap around vehicle shield devices generallyextend beyond the edge of the hood and extend rearwardly. Because of thelength of vehicle shield devices, they can be expensive to ship.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A vehicle shield device is provided according to the invention.The vehicle shield device includes a hood protector region and hoodattachment region. The hood protector region is constructed forextending across at least a portion of a vehicle hood for protecting thevehicle hood. The hood protector region includes at least one flexibleregion for allowing folding of the hood protector region. The hoodattachment region is constructed for attaching the hood protector regionto a vehicle hood. The hood attachment region includes a first hoodattachment flange attached to at least a portion of the hood protectorregion and constructed for attaching to a left side of a vehicle hood,and a second hood attachment flange attached to at least a portion ofthe hood protector region and constructed for attachment to a right sideof a vehicle hood. The hood attachment flanges are preferably providedfor attaching to the underside of the vehicle hood using a fastener.

[0006] The hood protector region and the hood attachment region can beprovided from a molded and continuous plastic sheet. The plastic sheetcan comprise a polymer composition that allows the vehicle shield deviceto be folded one or more times so that the vehicle shield device can beshipped in a container that is shorter than the fall length of thevehicle shield device as it would be provided when mounted to a vehiclehood. Preferably, the plastic sheet is prepared from a polymercomposition that is sufficiently flexible so that the area or areas offold do not include any appreciable cracking or crazing. Exemplarypolymer compositions for providing the plastic sheet can bepolycarbonate polymer containing compositions. It is expected that otherpolymer compositions and blends of polymers can be used to provide thedesired degree of flexibility while resisting cracking and crazing. Itis expected that the vehicle shield device can be folded once, or foldednumerous times in order to decrease the angle of fold or bend andthereby reduce the amount of stress provided on the shield device at thearea of fold and thereby further reduce the occurrence of crackingand/or crazing. For example, the shield device can be folded twice,three times, four times, etc.

[0007] It should be understood that the terms cracking and crazing, asused herein, refers to the existence of a commercially unacceptablelevel of cracking and/or crazing. There may be an amount of crackingand/or crazing that is commercially acceptable because it does notdisfigure the shield device from the perspective of an ordinaryconsumer. In addition, the existence of a certain level of crackingand/or crazing may be permissible if the useful life of the shielddevice is not so adversely effected that it decreases the commercialvalue or acceptability of the shield device. Accordingly, the referencein this application to a lack of appreciable cracking or crazing refersto a level of cracking or crazing that renders the shield devicecommercially unacceptable.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a vehicle shield is provided by theinvention. The method includes a step of cutting a sheet of plasticmaterial to provide a work piece having the desired form, and moldingthe work piece to provide the vehicle shield device. An exemplarytechnique of molding includes drape molding.

[0009] A method for shipping a vehicle shield is provided according tothe invention. The method includes steps of bending at least a portionof the vehicle shield device to provide a folded vehicle shield device,and then placing the folded vehicle shield device in a container forshipment. The bend or bends provided in the vehicle shield device can beany degree sufficient to reduce the overall length of the vehicle shielddevice. For example, a single bend or fold can be significantly lessthan 180° and even less than 90°. Furthermore, the vehicle shield devicecan be folded once, twice, three times, four times, etc. in order toprovide the resulting folded vehicle shield with the desiredconfiguration for shipment. The summation of the interior fold anglesprovided by a vehicle shield device according to the invention providedin a folded configuration can be between about 120° and 360°, and can bebetween 130° and 180°. When provided in a folded configuration, thevehicle shield can be shipped in a shorter container than wouldotherwise be required for the vehicle shield not being in a foldedconfiguration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle shield device accordingto the principles of the invention provided on a motor vehicle;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a front view of the vehicle shield device shown in FIG.1;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the vehicle shield device shown in FIG.1 provided in a folded configuration;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the vehicle shield deviceshown in FIG. 1 with a portion of the vehicle shown;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the vehicle shield deviceshown in FIG. 1 with a portion of the vehicle shown;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an alternative vehicle shield deviceaccording to the principles of the invention provided in a foldedconfiguration; and

[0016] FIGS. 7-24 are photographs of various views of three vehicleshield devices according to the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] Now referring to FIGS. 1-5, a vehicle shield device according tothe invention is shown at reference numeral 10. The vehicle shielddevice 10 can be referred to as an airflow deflector or more simply as avehicle shield. The vehicle shield 10 is shown attached to the hood 12of a motor vehicle 14, and is generally provided for protecting the hood12 and windshield 13 of the motor vehicle. Vehicle shields areparticularly popular on pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles.

[0018] The vehicle shield 10 can be referred to as a wrap around shieldbecause of the presence of the end wrapping portions 20 and 22. Ingeneral, the end wrapping portions 20 and 22 are provided on the outerends 24 and 26 of the vehicle shield and curve toward the rear of thevehicle. The end wrapping portions 20 and 22 can be referred to asfender protector portions 30 and 32 when they are provided wrappingaround the leading edge 34 of a fender 36. A wrap around vehicle shieldis disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,483 to Lund, the entire disclosurebeing incorporated herein by reference.

[0019] The vehicle shield 10 includes a hood protector region 39 andhood attachment region 40. The hood protector region 39 is generallyprovided for protecting the hood 12 and the windshield 13. When the hoodprotector region 39 includes the end wrapping portions 20 and 22, thehood protector region 39 additionally protects the fender 36. The hoodattachment region 40 is provided for attaching the vehicle shield 10 tothe hood 12. Preferably, the hood attachment region 40 provides forattachment to the underside 42 of the hood 12. The hood attachmentregion 40 preferably includes at least two attachment flanges 44 forattachment to the hood underside 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicleshield 10 includes four attachment flanges 44. The attachment flanges 44are provided attached to the hood protector region 39. Preferably, theattachment flanges 44 and the hood protector region 40 are provided froma single, continuous sheet. The sheet preferably includes a polymeric orplastic material that is cut and then molded to provide the vehicleshield 10.

[0020] The attachment flanges 44 preferably include mounting spaces 46for attaching the attachment flanges 44 to the hood 12. Fasteners 50 canbe provided extending through the mounting spaces 36 for attaching theshield device 10 to the hood underside 42. Preferred fasteners that canbe used include screws, bolts, threaded plugs, etc.

[0021] The hood attachment region 40 includes a first attachment flange52, a second attachment flange 53, a third attachment flange 54 and afourth attachment flange 55.

[0022] The vehicle shield 10 includes at least one flexible region 60for allowing folding of the hood protector region 39. As shown in FIG.3, the left side 62 and the right side 64 of the vehicle shield can befolded so that the vehicle shield can be shipped in a smaller container.Preferably, the left side 62 and the right side 64 of the vehicle shield10 can be banded together to hold the vehicle shield 10 in a foldedconfiguration for shipment. The sides of the vehicle shield 10 can beheld together by tape, adhesive tape, string, rubber band, or any otherfastener capable of holding the sides together and that can be removedwithout damaging the vehicle shield. In FIG. 2, the line 65 refers tothe center line of the hood protector region 39 and not to a fold line.

[0023] The flexible region 60 can be characterized as having an absenceof the attachment flange in that region that would interfere withbending or folding. That is, by providing the absence of the attachmentflange in the flexible region 60, the hood protector region 39 can bendwithout interference from the hood attachment region because of itsabsence in the flexible region 60.

[0024] Now referring to FIG. 6, an alternative vehicle shield deviceaccording to the invention is indicated at reference numeral 100. Thevehicle shield 100 includes two flexible regions 102 and 104. Thevehicle shield 100 can bend in the flexible regions 102 and 104 toprovide a more compact shield for shipment. In addition, the vehicleshield can be provided with another flexible region 106 for additionalfolding. Furthermore, the bends can be less severe to achieve a vehicleshield device that can be shipped in a smaller container. That is, byproviding more than one bend in the vehicle shield device, the stress ateach bend can be lessened to reduce incidents of cracking or crazing. Inalternative embodiments, the vehicle shield device can be bent or foldedonce, twice, three times, four times, etc. In order to obtain a vehicleshield that can be shipped in a smaller container than the vehicleshield device would otherwise have to be shipped in without any folds orbends. By providing the vehicle shield device in a smaller container, itis believed that significant savings in shipping costs will be achieved.When the vehicle shield device is provided in a folded configuration,the summation of interior angles at each fold can total between 120° and360°, and can total between 130° and 180°.

[0025] The shield device is preferably manufactured from a sheetcomprising a polymer composition. The polymer composition that can beused according to the invention preferably includes a polymer thatprovides the desired degree of bending so that the shield can be shippedin a smaller container, and that will straighten without providing anundesirable crease or wrinkle in the shield at the area it was bent. Thevehicle shield 10 is preferably manufactured from a continuous sheet ofplastic. A preferred plastic material is one that has sufficientflexibility to avoid cracking or crazing in the area of bend while stillproviding a vehicle shield device that functions well under conditionsof use. An exemplary plastic material that can be used includespolycarbonate polymer and mixtures of polycarbonate polymer with otherpolymers. Polymeric materials that can be used to manufacture thevehicle shield include polycarbonates and are available under the nameLexan from G. E. Plastics.

[0026] The vehicle shield according to the invention can be prepared bydye cutting a blank sheet of plastic material, and then draped formingthe dye cut plastic material on a mold. The plastic sheet preferably hasa thickness that provides the vehicle shield with sufficient rigidity towithstand the wind pressures caused by being placed on the hood of amotor vehicle and will resist fluttering. The plastic sheet can have athickness of between about 0.070 inch to about 0.150 inch, and thethickness can be between about 0.080 inch and about 0.10 inch.

[0027] The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the manufacture and use of the composition of theinvention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, the inventionresides in the claims hereinafter appended.

We claim:
 1. A vehicle shield device comprising: (a) hood protectorregion constructed for extending across at least a portion of a vehiclehood for protecting the vehicle hood, the hood protector regioncomprising: (i) at least one flexible region for allowing folding of thehood protector region; and (b) hood attachment region constructed forattaching the hood protector region to a vehicle hood, the hoodattachment region comprising: (i) first hood attachment flange attachedto at least a portion of the hood protector region and constructed forattaching to a left side of a vehicle hood; and (ii) second hoodattachment flange attached to at least a portion of the hood protectorregion and constructed for attachment to a right side of a vehicle hood.2. A vehicle shield device according to claim 1, wherein the hoodprotector region and the hood attachment region comprise a molded andcontinuous plastic sheet.
 3. A vehicle shield device according to claim2, wherein the plastic sheet comprises a polycarbonate polymercomposition.
 4. A vehicle shield device according to claim 2, whereinthe plastic sheet has a thickness of between about 0.070 inch and about0.150 inch.
 5. A vehicle shield device according to claim 1, wherein thevehicle shield does not include a hood attachment flange within theflexible region.
 6. A vehicle shield device according to claim 1,wherein the hood protector region comprises a first end and a secondend, and a first end wrapping portion provided at the first end, and asecond end wrapping portion provided at the second end.
 7. A vehicleshield device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle shield device isprovided in a folded configuration.
 8. A vehicle shield device accordingto claim 7, wherein the hood protector region includes at least twoflexible regions for allowing folding of the hood protector region.
 9. Avehicle shield device according to claim 7, wherein the hood protectorregion includes at least three flexible regions for allowing folding ofthe hood protector region.
 10. A method for manufacturing a vehicleshield device, the method comprising steps of: cutting a sheet ofplastic material; and molding the sheet of plastic material to provide:(a) hood protector region constructed for extending across at least aportion of a vehicle hood for protecting the vehicle hood, the hoodprotector region comprising: (i) at least one flexible region forallowing folding of the hood protector region; and (b) hood attachmentregion constructed for attaching the hood protector region to a vehiclehood, the hood attachment region comprising: (i) first hood attachmentflange attached to at least a portion of the hood protector region andconstructed for attaching to a left side of a vehicle hood; and (ii)second hood attachment flange attached to at least a portion of the hoodprotector region and constructed for attachment to a right side of avehicle hood.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the sheetmaterial comprises a polycarbonate composition.
 12. A method forshipping a vehicle shield device, the method comprising steps of:providing a vehicle shield device comprising: (a) hood protector regionconstructed for extending across at least a portion of a vehicle hoodfor protecting the vehicle hood, the hood protector region comprising:(i) at least one flexible region for allowing folding of the hoodprotector region; and (b) hood attachment region constructed forattaching the hood protector region to a vehicle hood, the hoodattachment region comprising: (i) first hood attachment flange attachedto at least a portion of the hood protector region and constructed forattaching to a left side of a vehicle hood; and (ii) second hoodattachment flange attached to at least a portion of the hood protectorregion and constructed for attachment to a right side of a vehicle hood;and bending the hood protector region about the flexible region toprovide the vehicle shield device in a folded configuration.
 13. Amethod according to claim 12, further comprising a step of: (a) using afastener to hold the vehicle shield in a folded configuration.
 14. Amethod according to claim 13, wherein the fastener comprises adhesivetape.
 15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising a step of:(a) placing the vehicle shield device in a folded configuration into acontainer for shipment.